A new £1 million teaching hub is set to launch in West Lancashire, led by a professor at Edge Hill University’s Medical School and the new Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Centre. Based in Wrightington, it is promising to deliver enhanced remote learning for trainee doctors and senior clinicians to practice medical procedures.
It is believed to be the first teaching hub of its kind in the North of England that will train medical professionals using immersive technology.
The TEL plans to provide a teaching experience for users to train in anatomy, equipment training and surgical simulation using “next generation” technology, including virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and augmented reality (AR).
“The centre will be for a wide range of users, from medical students to doctors and practising senior clinicians. In medical training this is really exceptional because the key concept behind simulation training is patient safety, which is enhanced when surgeons can practice time and time again using this technology.”
Prof Kumar
While the TEL is based in Wrightington, the sessions will be available to several centres across the UK simultaneously. Learners will be provided with VR haptic hand controls and wearable headsets to transport them to a virtual training environment, removing the need to travel.
“These technologies allow students to gain real-world experience by practicing procedures in virtual or mixed reality environments that would otherwise be difficult to simulate.”
Dr Peter Vangorp, Senior Lecturer at Edge Hill and technical lead of the specialist facilities
The team developing the TEL hope that it will be ready to launch within the next six to 12 months.
Edge Hill’s Medical School is one of only three new freestanding medicine schools in the country and the only one in the North West of England. The school aims to develop a new generation of doctors who understand the needs of local communities and can respond to, and drive forward, new models of care. The University offers a range of different Medicine programmes to choose from.
Professor John Sandars, Director of Medical Education, Innovation and Scholarship, suggests that preparedness is a key concern at all stages of the medical education process, from initial early clinical contact across to later years with readiness for work as a junior doctor.
It’s great to see such exciting new initiatives happening on our doorstep.